Bike Ride 24

 Bike ride 24 was a short almost 7 km ride along my favorite route from my house to Brookfield, using quite side roads that go alongside creeks and woodlots.

 It was still quite hot so I went just as the sun was starting to set, and only went out for an hour.

 The leaves were just starting to fall.

 The water in the creek was high, and only some of the trees had changed color.

The highlight of my ride was finding these ghosts above the little creek near East Balfour Drive. They were swaying in the wind, and looked much better in real life than they do in these photos.

Bike Rides 17, 18, and 19, LOL

I'm really behind on my blog because I'm so tired when I get back from my bike rides and walks, lol.  I'm going to try to be better though, and blog when I get back no matter how tired or sleepy I am.

I haven't been feeling well; my allergies have been bad, and it's been triggering my asthma and migraines.  When I can, I go for a walk or bike ride but haven't enjoyed it as much as I normally do because I feel a bit off.  When I'm really sick I can't do anything at all though, so i don't like to let it stop me if I can help it (if I have the choice).

Bike Route 17

 The flowers in the fields are dying; so sad.  All of the sunny yellows are turning gold and brown.  It's pretty too; I like fall colors, but I wish summer would last longer. 

 My bike really stands out in a fall field; it's such a nice, vivid coral color.

 We always get such amazing sunsets at this time of year.  I love riding my bike just before sunset, and coming home just as it gets dark.  I have lots of lights and reflectors, so it's safe. It's been so hot this year; even now, in September, it was quite warm out riding.

 These creek side trails are all over the place, and when it hasn't rained, they're lovely to ride on. Much nicer scenery than on the roads.

 For bike ride 18 I went to the end of Korah Road again...well, not quite the end, but almost. I stopped at  Garson's Pond to see the ducks, then road further down Korah, as far as the abandoned homestead.  I turned around there (almost at the corner of Korah and Goulais Ave.).

 The ducks were very annoyed that I hadn't brought them anything to eat.  I keep forgetting. 
The moon was out, and although it looks tiny in the photo, it was really quite lovely.  The photos make everything seem so far away and small.

I always wanted to have a yard with a duck pond, ever since I was a little girl. These people are so lucky. They have lots of snapping turtles in that pond too, but I didn't see any.

My Townie.

 Once again, my pretty bike.  I'm amassing quite the collection of photos showing my bike in cool places.  I'm so enjoying exploring the area again.  This bike makes me so happy!

Ducks making ripples on the pond.

Bike Route 19

 I started on my normal route but then rode around through Bayview.  In the past, it was had a thriving mini downtown area.  Now all of the stores and businesses are closed.  I remember when I was younger there was a grocery store, a restaurant, a bowling alley, a clothing store, a furniture store, and several others.

Bayview

 This red building  (above) used to be a store.  I don't remember which kind.

 The two buildings above were also businesses.  One is a house now, but the other looks like it has an accountant's office now. It was closed though.

 This graffiteed building was also a business;  a restaurant, I think.  There were many others. It was like a mini downtown area, and it's sad to see it gone.

The only business still running is the one that employs most of the Sault; Essar Steel.  The air quality sucks here, thanks to the Steel Plant, but I guess it keeps the economy afloat. 

New Gear for my Bike: Pannier, Waterproof Pannier Cover, and Rearview Mirror for Glasse

So excited that I found inexpensive waterproof pannier covers for the new panniers I ordered from Ebay last week.

Pannier cover

 Hopefully they won't be so cheap that they'll rip right away.  If they are, at least buying them will give me a chance to figure out the pattern so I can make my own set.  It basically looks like big pieces of waterpoof material with elastic, or maybe a pull tie.  I ordered them from this seller on ebay.

Panniers I bought on ebay.

 I plan to use them to cover the panniers I purchased, as seen in the photo above.  Both items are coming from China so will not get here for a month. It's August 25th now, so they should be in by the end of September.  The people who sold the pannier cover sent me an email saying they were shipped yesterday, and if they don't arrive by the 29th of September to contact them.

Take a Look Mirror

 I also ordered the Take a Look Mirror from Ebay.
It was located in the USA and arrived very quickly, within days of ordering.  I tried the mirror out for the first time on Bike Ride 14, a few days ago, and it works very well but takes some getting used to.  I wondered if people would react to it when they saw me wearing it, but the only people who gave me a hard time about them were my parents.  I don't care how they look to others; I only care about road safety.  Now I have a better view of what's coming up behind me, and that means a lot to me.  I think these are brilliant; so much better than the rear view mirror on my bike, which just gives me a view of myself, lol.

Hilda

I found this Hilda cartoon online and cracked up, as that could be me and Benji and my bike...except I wouldn't be caught dead in a bikini, lol.  Also, my hair does have red highlights, but is more brown than red, lol.

I'm not feeling great today.  I feel achy all over and have been wheezing all night and morning, despite my ventolin. Normally when I feel like this, it means I'm coming down with the flu.  I sure hope not.  I had hoped to go for  another bike ride today but I'm not sure I'll be able to. I'll see how I feel later.  I can always try to ride, just in the neighborhood, and if I don't feel well, just turn around and come home.  I had planned on going to Fort Creek but my Dad says it's very hilly and there's no way I could walk hills today, let alone bike them.